Title: Robot Dreams
MPA Rating: Not Rated
Director: Pablo Berger
Starring: Dog, Robot
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

What It Is: Dog is a lonely fella. He has no one to talk to and no real friends to speak of. When he orders a friend, a robot, the two are practically inseparable. One day the two had a great day at the beach but Robot goes into the water. Now if you know anything about metal you know that it and water do not mix. Robot is rusted on the beach and Dog cannot lift his heavy metal body to take him back home. When he returns to the beach the next day it is closed for the season. Leaving the two seperated until summer comes around again.

What We Think: Not a single word is uttered in this film. Even without that Pablo Berger is able to tell an amazing tale of loss and love and friendship. The journey that Dog and Robot go on is an incredible odyssey beset with strife and struggle. This is beautiful, subtle film making. This is a rare film that needs no words and fewer “big moments” to absolutely get you into its world. That world, New York City in the 1980s in wonderfully illustrated.

Our Grade: A, It is a rare thing to see a film work so well with no dialogue. I cannot stress this enough. This is a PHENOMENAL animated film that needs to be seen by all of the people that can get their hands on it. It’s the best of both worlds in that it’s an amazing foreign film (being that it’s technically made by a Basque director) and it’s an animated film that works incredibly well for adults. A beautiful, brilliant portrait of love and friendship. Something so important and sometimes missing in the modern animated world.